In the floral industry it is common practice to mount arrangements of dried fresh flowers on some sort of base to hold the arrangement in desired position and present them attractively and appropriately. Perhaps most frequently such bases are in the shape of a flat rectangular "board", but "logs" and other three-dimensional shapes such as vases or columns are also common for this purpose. The major function of the support or base is merely to mount the flowers; it is not necessarily required to contain or retain moisture or provide any sort of preservative affect. The arrangement is tied or wired to the base, or quite commonly spike-like "picks" are mounted to the ends of the individual stems and these are pressed into the base material to hold the flowers projecting from it.
The use of polystyrene foam for floral bases is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,618,901 and 2,745,218. At the present time, the extruded form of polystyrene foam ("Styrofoam") is very widely used for this purpose. It is lightweight, sufficiently durable, and is rigid enough to hold floral spikes. Nevertheless, ordinary polystyrene foam leaves a great deal to be desired in respect to appearance. The material has an unmistakable plastic look about it which is incongruous with real flowers, and which cheapens the overall appearance of any arrangement. Coloring the foam green, as is often done, does little to improve it. Because of the unsightliness of the base, the arrangement is often placed so as virtually to cover or conceal it and thereby render it as inconspicuous as possible. Thus the need has existed for a base which, while retaining the desirable mechanical qualities of polystyrene foam, will present a more attractive and natural appearance.
In accordance with a primary objective of this invention, a foam floral base material is provided which has a surface that is textured so as to resemble weathered rough lumber such as old barn siding.